Return to 1983 Hunting Xing'an Mountains

Chapter 401: Building a Tractor to Save Money and Favors

At around 2:81, the temperature gradually became colder. A cool breeze blew, making Liu Xuemin and Hu Zhibin, who were standing at the door of the agricultural machinery station warehouse smoking, shiver. They looked back and saw Xu Ning stroking a Dongfanghong 2 produced by the long-haul factory in the warehouse in February 28. They looked at each other and smiled.

After a tour around the compound, warehouse, maintenance station and other places of the agricultural machinery station, Xu Ning gained a lot of knowledge, because he used to think that there were very few tractors in Qing'an Street, but when he entered the agricultural machinery station, he realized that there were tractors everywhere, including the Tieniu 55 from the Tiantuo Factory, the Fengshou 35 from the Shangtuo Factory, the tracked Dongfanghong 54 imitating the Soviet-made one, the Dongfanghong 40 produced in Luoyang, and so on, everything you can think of!
It's not that Xu Ning is short-sighted, but he has been influenced by later generations. He has never been to an agricultural machinery station before, let alone seen so many tractors. He only knew the more famous Tie Niu and Changtuo Dongfanghong 28, so he thought that Qing'an was very poor nowadays, and he never imagined that there would be so many tractors.

Although Liu Xuemin made a bold statement to let Xu Ning pick anyone he wanted, and that Liu Xuemin would be able to implement whatever he chose, Xu Ning could not just pick anyone he wanted. He knew that he could not cause too much trouble for Liu Xuemin, after all, he was relying on Hu Zhibin's relationship.

However, when Xu Ning saw the long-haul Dongfanghong that had only been in use for less than two years, he could no longer walk.

Because the appearance of this tractor is very new, the engine, tires, seats... only have minor signs of use, but this tractor is expensive, even if it has been used for less than two years, it still costs 8000 yuan.

Even if Liu Xuemin could do it, Xu Ning couldn't say it directly. He seemed greedy and just kept stroking and wiping the car to express his eagerness.

After touching it for about five or six minutes, the two men outside the door had finished smoking. At this time, Hu Zhibin said with a smile: "Erning, stop touching it, or the paint will fall off. If you like it, let Brother Liu help you with it. We can do it by signing a contract!"

Xu Ning turned around and said, "Brother Bin, Brother Liu, can we get this four-wheeler? I hope it won't cause you any trouble?"

"Hahaha, look at that...his eyes are almost gone, and he's still pretending!"

Hu Zhibin raised his finger and pointed at him and said with a smile: "Do you like it or not?"

Xu Ning walked to the door of the warehouse with a smile on his face and said, "Then he must have chosen me. I'm just afraid that Brother Liu will be embarrassed."

Liu Xuemin waved his hand: "Why is it difficult... This car was bought by our station. It cost 8200 yuan at the time. If you want to rent it, it's 40 yuan per month, 480 yuan per year! If you rent it for 16 years, it's equivalent to buying it. We will change the procedures for you then."

Xu Ning grinned and said, "Oh, thank you so much, Brother Liu. Look at what this has caused..."

Hu Zhibin smiled without showing his teeth and said, "I brought you in to see the car only if you are satisfied. If you like it, just take it! But you have to remember one thing. A leader from above came to inspect the other day. No matter if it is working on the mountain or not, you have to clean the four wheels and send it back, otherwise Brother Liu will not be able to explain."

"Understood! Brother Liu, just give me a call and I'll get it back to you in no time."

"Hahaha...Okay! Let's use this one. Let's go inside and write the contract."

"Got it!"

The three of them walked side by side towards the office in the station. Liu Xuemin was not in a hurry to write the contract. Instead, he picked up the thermos and poured some tea for the two of them. His tea was brewed in the thermos, so the temperature when poured out was just right for drinking.

Then Liu Xuemin sat down, took out two sheets of draft paper from a pile of documents, and copied a lease contract according to the template.

This contract is quite detailed, including monthly rent, annual rent, how to pay, whether there is a deposit, the name and home address of the lessee, who are the immediate family members and where they work...

Finally, they signed and stamped their fingerprints. Hu Zhibin was the guarantor. He guaranteed that Xu Ning could repay the loan on time. If Xu Ning breached the contract and failed to repay the loan on time, he would pay on his behalf.

This is a big favor. You have to know that people who dare to guarantee such a contract are definitely not relatives or friends, but have very strong connections. How long has Xu Ningcai known Hu Zhibin? Less than two months in total.

Moreover, Hu Zhibin helped a lot today. If it weren't for his words in the hotel private room, Xu Ning would have had to buy bricks, cement, steel bars, etc., not to mention how much money he would have saved, but most importantly, it would have been a waste of time and he would have had to run himself to get it done.

Both Lao Qian and Yang Liguo made great efforts. Although Yang Liguo only showed up for a short while, he spoke beautifully and did a good job. Nowadays, it is very prestigious to make friends with a master chef who used to work in a state-owned unit. As for why? There are many reasons.

"Okay! Do you want to drive away? Or do you want to put it in the car and take it back?" Liu Xuemin asked with a smile.

Hu Zhibin replied, "I suggest you take it back. It's convenient to load it at the agricultural machinery station. When you get home to unload it, you can find a high place and drive directly down."

Xu Ning listened to the advice and nodded: "Okay! Then I'll take it back."

"It's more convenient to take it back. There must be a technician who can repair tractors at the forest farm, right? If something is broken and you don't know how to fix it, just bring it to the station. We have a technician there."

"Oh, it's fixed! This is a new car, it won't break down easily."

Liu Xuemin said with a smile: "Of course, this thing is durable! You two stay in the room, I'll go out for a while."

"Where are you going?" Hu Zhibin was stunned.

"We need to find someone to put the whole tractor on the truck, and also find a trailer for our brother. How can we just give him the truck head?"

Hu Zhibin said with a smile: "Look, Brother Liu is just impatient, let's go out together."

"No, you two stay in the room to warm up, I'll be back soon."

"Okay, I won't be polite with you then."

After Liu Xuemin left, Xu Ning looked at Hu Zhibin and said, "Brother Bin, I really troubled you today. If it weren't for you, I would have had to make so many wasted trips."

"Don't talk about that. It doesn't matter who you do the work for. I feel comfortable doing it for you. I originally wanted to invite you to dinner at a big restaurant. You had something to do a few years ago, and I had something to do too. It just so happened that we bumped into each other, so let's do it."

"Okay, I won't be polite anymore. It seems too fake."

Xu Ning said with a smile: "I went to the city this time to handle the Lengchang business..."

"How's it going? Is it done?"

"We are still going through the formalities. It is estimated that the contract can be signed in August."

"August? You're going through the formalities so fast. My contract is due at the end of August. I'll have to run around a lot by then. I don't want you to get too tired."

"Hahaha, how could that be possible? Sandengchang isn't far away. If you need anything, just give us a call and we'll be there in no time. Hey, Brother Bin, I mentioned you to my brother yesterday, and he told you to go directly to him when you get to the city, and he'll make arrangements for you there."

Hu Zhibin nodded and said with a smile: "Okay! I should be transferred to the city government. It seems that it will be soon. When the time comes, your brother and I will be in the city and we will definitely need to keep in touch."

There are two "shoulds" in his sentence, which actually mean affirmation. Hu Zhibin sometimes speaks very carefully, and unless something is particularly certain, he will usually speak modestly.

After a pause, Xu Ning asked, "How many bear paws are still missing? I'll go look for them later..."

Hu Zhibin took a sip of tea and waved his hand: "No, it's dangerous to go hiking now. Master Yang helped me get two from the big hotel. It's just enough to make up six tables. It should be enough."

Xu Ning said, "Prepare a few more bear paws, just in case! Oh, by the way, my elder brother Liguo said that whenever you need him, just give him an address and time."

Hu Zhibin said with a smile: "You helped to speak in the middle, right? I mentioned it to him, but he was a little hesitant..."

"I didn't say anything. Big Brother Liguo just asked about your relationship with me, so I told him the truth."

"Ha ha……"

The two of them were chatting happily in the house, from business to family matters, and they chatted for quite some time.

Liu Xuemin pushed the door open and walked into the house. He drank a sip of tea first and said, "Brother Xu, the four wheels and the trailer are all loaded up. You can find a place to unload them when you get home."

"Thanks, Brother Liu. I'll arrange a meal for you when I come to the street someday."

Liu Xuemin waved his hand: "Forget it, this is not acceptable among us brothers!"

Hu Zhibin said, "Wouldn't you like to eat some venison? I'll get you some when Erning is in the mountains someday?" "That's fine! Brother Xu, I won't be polite with you. Not only do I like venison, my old man likes it too."

Xu Ning clapped his hands and said, "Alright! If I can't do anything else, I can definitely do the deer!"

The three of them chatted in the house for another half an hour before Hu Zhibin left. Xu Ning stood up and shook hands with Liu Xuemin, saying, "Brother Liu, I will definitely come here often in the future."

"That's true! Brother Liu will treat you whenever you come. We can't treat you to a big restaurant, so we can just build a small one!"

Hu Zhibin said with a smile: "It's open-minded. Take me with you when the time comes."

"You? I hope you get to the city hall soon."

"Hahaha……"

Liu Xuemin escorted the two to the car, and after watching them get in, he waved and said, "Take some time to come to the street and sit here for a while!"

"That's a must, Brother Liu, go back."

Xu Ning drove away from the agricultural machinery station and first sent Hu Zhibin to the vicinity of the county compound before turning back to the supply and marketing cooperative.

Liu Xuemin was very upright in his work. Since there was no tarpaulin in the rear compartment of the Dongfeng tractor, Liu Xuemin specially found a tarpaulin to cover the tractor. Others could only see the shape of the tractor but not the model and condition of the tractor.

As for the reason? Of course, it is to prevent others from pointing fingers and avoiding gossip.

He parked his car on the roadside opposite the supply and marketing cooperative, jumped out of the car and strode into the cooperative. He ran into Sun Lianfang and Guan Lei who were checking out, while Qian Shude was calculating the bills nearby.

"Brother! Do you want to eat White Rabbit candy?"

Sun Lianfang peeled off the candy wrapper and handed over a slightly yellowish milk candy. The candy was not bad, but it was originally that color.

"Just eat it yourself, why did you two buy all this old stuff?"

Guan Lei said helplessly: "She insisted that as a sister-in-law, she had to buy some things for her younger brothers and sisters. She bought so much while shopping."

Xu Ning looked at the bags on the table. There were milk candies, bubble gum, shredded fruit, hawthorn rolls, packaged drinks, mung bean cakes...all snacks, and he only bought the expensive ones.

If you say that Sun Lianfang is a spendthrift, she is not really a spendthrift. After all, this is how she has been spending money since she was a child. If you say that she is a spendthrift, she is quite spendthrift. She just got the money and spent half of it before she even had time to warm it up. Who can bear this?
Xu Ning was silent for a moment, then said, "You might as well buy a rubber band instead of buying these old snacks."

Sun Lianfang looked up in surprise and clapped her hands quickly: "Oh my god, that's right! Rubber bands are good. I'm really good at skipping rubber bands. I can play with them then."

After she finished speaking, she turned around and ran to the counter selling rubber bands, and stretched out her hand: "Sister! Give me a bundle of rubber bands."

The salesperson heard her and was a little speechless. He advised: "These are good rubber bands. They are very useful as waistbands."

"Hey, just take it, why do you care what I do?"

The salesperson curled his lips when he heard that and threw a bundle of rubber bands to her in an unpleasant mood. There were five rubber bands in the bundle, and each one was four meters long.

After Sun Lianfang came back, Qian Shude added the price of the rubber band and said, "The total is forty-six dollars and fifty cents..."

She reached into her pocket, took out a wad of money, counted it, and handed it to Qian Shude: "Brother Qian, count it."

"What's the point of counting? I was watching you when you were counting the money."

Qian Shude handed the money to the cashier, but he didn't count it. The cashier had to count the money, otherwise the accounts wouldn't match.

"Have you reached an agreement on Four Wheels?"

"Yeah, they're all loaded onto the truck."

Qian Shude was surprised and said, "Wow, this was done really quickly. How much did it cost?"

Xu Ning waved his hand: "Let's go out and chat... Hey, bring me some more cigarettes."

"What kind of cigarettes do you want?"

"Ten things to come for the economy, five things to welcome the spring."

The more expensive Yingchun cigarettes are used for doing business, and the cheaper Economic cigarettes are reserved for those who come to help build the house.

After paying for the cigarettes, everyone came to the Dongfeng 140 carrying large and small bags. Looking at the four wheels covered by tarpaulin in the back compartment, Wang Hu and Guan Lei both smiled. When they heard Xu Ning say that it didn't cost much, everyone showed surprised expressions.

"Stationmaster Liu is quite particular."

"Yeah, he and Brother Bin are buddies."

Qian Shude was surprised and asked, "Really? Why didn't I notice it before dinner?"

"You definitely can't let us see it. You have to avoid suspicion when you have to serve two things on the same table."

"Too……"

While standing next to the car and smoking a cigarette, several people came up to ask how much the four-wheeled vehicle in the car cost. Xu Ning and others ignored them. It was not worth it to cause trouble because of strangers. The easiest way was to pretend not to hear. Those who knew what was good would ask twice and leave when no one responded. If they didn't know what was good? He would have to think about it.

It’s not that Xu Ning is arrogant, but this kind of thing cannot be told to others. It’s okay to say it in your own small circle, but you must never talk about it outside, otherwise it will not only harm Liu Xuemin, but also yourself!
After everyone got on the bus, Qian Shude waved and said, "If you need anything, give me a call."

"Well, go back quickly."

Xu Ning waved his hand, turned around, stepped on the accelerator and drove forward.

Inside the car, Guan Lei and Sun Lianfang sat in the passenger seat, which was a bit crowded because there were large and small bags of snacks under their feet, and on their legs were the vegetables that Yang Liguo had brought for them, as well as the cigarettes and alcohol that Xu Ning had bought for Xu Laonian, the various clothes that Yang Yusheng had bought for them, and a bag of seeds...

In the back compartment were Wang Hu and Sun Liansheng. They sat next to the railing. In front of them was the tractor, a detachable trailer, and a bundle of belts and two sets of spare inner tubes given to them by Liu Xuemin.

Xu Ning stole a lot of things on this trip, but didn't spend much money at all.

When we went to the city, Yang Yusheng spent money on the expenses, and when we returned to Qing'an, Hu Zhibin treated us and helped us with the affairs.

For the red bricks, cement and other building materials, the two bosses did not ask for a deposit. They just told us to call you when we needed them, and they would deliver them directly to our doorstep, and they would settle the bill once the house was finished!

Liu Xuemin rented a four-wheeler for Xu Ning and charged him a symbolic 150 yuan for it, and also gave him some spare parts.

All of this is done for Hu Zhibin's sake and out of trust in him.

As for Xu Ning? Although he was reborn, he was not omnipotent.

But he is quite good at making friends, otherwise he would not have been able to make friends with Hu Zhibin!
Besides, society is what it is, and what matters is human relationships and worldly wisdom.

(End of this chapter)